Unreached goals
by Kyoakuna
Summary: Franziska is shot just before Matt Engarde's trial. Edgeworth is here to help & support her. Slight spoilers for AA1/AA2.


This is my first English fanfic bc well, I'm French and it took me a while to translate the whole thing. I believe there is still some mistakes though I did my best to check the grammar and all several times, so, my apologies.

 **PS:** In case there is French readers finding this fic, if you wanna read it in French, notice me.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any character, they all belong to Capcom.

* * *

 **March 22, 9:31 am**

 _"Are you ready for another battle, Phoenix Wright?"_

Driving the blue car she unusually borrowed for her return in America to satisfy her moves, Franziska thought about the trial coming soon: she will face her enemy, the Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright, for the third time. She always has this mischievous smile when she was thinking about it. Besides, this man was the first lawyer to defeat her: Franziska von Karma, the daughter of the legendary prosecutor Manfred von Karma, unbeaten for forty years. She needed to follow his footsteps, ensuring the perfection of their name, though her father was a fool who acted in a foolishly foolish way. She couldn't keep from wondering about it, when people looked at her in court or in the streets. She was still a teen which had only one purpose: perfection. She doesn't even seem to feel any shame by carrying the name of the von Karma, sullied by only one man. However, she ignored critics about her because she needed to respond to a specific goal: sustain her perfect record in court and so, win any trial.

… At least, before that foolish Phoenix Wright came to face _her_.

Franziska entered finally in the street near the courthouse. That trial… she was waiting for since these last twenty-four hours. She thought it would never end. To crown it all, her foolish _Little Brother_ came back to America yesterday! Miles Edgeworth. The one who always left her alone, walked on ahead without her. When he became that "Demon Prosecutor", he surely became better than her. But there's only one flaw in his career: he lost too against Phoenix Wright. Furthermore, if he went back to Germany, that's only because he couldn't deal with losing his perfect record that he acquired during four years.

That's what she believed.

She will never forget the way Miles Edgeworth surprised her yesterday, by interrupting her conversation with this foolish detective and Wright.

 **March 21**

 **Police Station**

 **Criminal Affairs Department**

She had just found this good-for-nothing Detective Gumshoe. He was still providing evidence to the enemy… Phoenix Wright. It didn't take long for her precious whip to hit Gumshoe, in order to punish him. She didn't wait too to dismiss this ineffective man. Yet one foolish idiot less in her midst!

"If it weren't for traitors like you…" began Franziska.

"'I would've won.' Is that what you want to say?" replied a familiar voice near them.

"…! W-Who…!?" she exclaimed.

"That voice… E-Edgeworth!" Phoenix added.

"It's been a long time… Wright. What am I going to do with you…?" Edgeworth said to Franziska, biting his lower lip. "Still blaming others when things go wrong? You haven't changed a bit, Franziska."

The young lady was outraged and speechless, which was contrary to her principles. This sudden intrusion was driving her mad, and hearing her Little Brother saying foolishly foolish things about her while he smiled and looked her was the worst thing he could ever do. She retorted seconds later.

"How dare you show your face to me without a shred of shame upon it!? You've soiled the von Karma name and dragged it through the mud. Run away with your tall between your legs like the ill-bred dog you are!" Upset, Franziska whipped Edgeworth twice.

She was so angry about what Edgeworth said next that she was forced to leave the police station. Franziska had so much pressure upon her shoulders… All the trials she lost, the way people looked at her: a lot of things she must deal with on her own. And now, Miles Edgeworth had the nerve to stand right in front of her without feeling ashamed! She knew she would cry soon, but nobody was allowed to see it.

Despite everything, although she didn't want to accept that, what Edgeworth said to her was the result of her escape. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

"I hear you are having a rough time maintaining perfection in this country. You seem to be getting crushed under the weight of it all. That's why I came back."

That was true. Many things were expected of Franziska and it started to be really hard to deal with. However, she always achieved in every task she undertook since she was little so why would she need any help now?

"…Pride." said an inner voice in her head. It was the truth she couldn't accept.

But this case was hers. She will never hand it over to Miles Edgeworth. Never. It was her only chance left to take revenge against him.

 **March 22, 9:35 am**

 **District Court**

 **Entrance**

She took the file related to the case of Juan Corrida's murder in the back of her car and walked confidently towards the courthouse, head held high. Her whip was in her right hand as her heels clacking on the ground. She didn't know that a mysterious man was waiting impatiently for her to come right over there. Some people wondered why she was holding tightly a whip, but she didn't pay attention. Franziska only wanted to go as quickly as possible in that courtroom: she knew it won't last over fifteen minutes. A lot of evidence was against Phoenix's client, Matt Engarde: she spent the last day investigating the crime scene, questioning the witnesses as she spent the night reading the court record. Whatever happens, he was trapped and she would finally have the chance to learn what a "perfect victory" meant, to Wright.

Engarde's trial was going to be perfect: everything has been prepared for. We almost could believe the murder occurred only to provide her a chance to take her revenge.

Unfortunately, she was hoping too much. Franziska was about to enter the courthouse when a huge pain tore her shoulder and went through her entire body: something very painful was stuck in her right shoulder. Without having the time to understand what was happening, she collapsed, screaming in pain. She let go her whip and the record of the murder case that fall onto the ground, next to her.

Everything became fuzzy; however, she could perceive a man in black running a few meters from her.

The pain intensified but she used the little strength she had left to look her shoulder. Blood. Blood was flowing and soiled her white outfit. It even spread onto the sidewalk.

She finally understood: she has been shot.

But who could…?

She refused to faint: not her! Not Franziska von Karma! Faint just because of a shot? No! Her father has been able to survive with a bullet in his shoulder for fifteen years… A pain like the one she felt right now won't stop her.

Edgeworth was following the young prosecutor. He knew very well the trial began at 10 am and didn't want to miss his _sister_ this morning. He needed to talk to her before court was in session: he wanted to give her advices although she surely won't listen to him at all. He had nothing to lose, after all.

That's why, sitting comfortably behind the wheel of his red sport car, he was following his colleague, staying some meters before her. When Franziska parked her car on the courthouse's parking, he parked his in front of the entrance to keep an eye on her moves.

While he was searching for _something_ in the car's trunk, he heard a noise as loud as ever: nobody could have missed it.

A noise he was undoubtedly familiar with…

A gunshot.

He looked up and what he saw really frightened him: Franziska was just shot right before his eyes, and the bullet went through her right shoulder. Wounded, she just collapsed.

Miles slammed the trunk of his car without locking it, neither picking up what he was looking for. He rushed up to her, holding his phone. He hoped that she stays conscious. When he approached, he saw _that_ guy: a man quite tall, wearing black and with a scary face. The culprit was running away as if nothing had happened. Edgeworth could have easily stopped him because the man was putting the gun in his pocket: it was a decisive proof. However, his priority was clearly Franziska and he couldn't leave her alone at a time like this. Her condition shall not get worse.

He needed to stay with her.

The prosecutor knelt down in front of Franziska, his face more expressive than usual, when he was in court. He seems… more human.

"Franziska! You hear me?" asked Miles.

"I-I… Argh…" She complained, gritting his teeth because of the huge pain she felt. "You idiot… Call an ambulance... now!"

"Hang on Franziska, please, I'm going to."

With his eyes fixed on the young prosecutor, he called the 911 and explained the situation to his interlocutor. He told him the place they were, and to be sure they hurry themselves, he exclaimed "And hurry up! We can't lose time anymore, okay!?"

Miles Edgeworth was known to be a cold and manipulative man, who could do everything to get a guilty verdict rather than the pursuit of the truth; to him, every defendant was guilty. This is how he was seen the four first years of his career, but he was good with that. But when Wright arrived, his old classmate when he was in fourth grade, everything changed: Phoenix Wright was a tough opponent and was the first lawyer who had been able to beat him and so, destroy his _perfect record_. He left one year abroad to think about what Wright told him, and when he came back, he was another man: to him now, finding the truth was the most important thing a prosecutor had to do. Not convicting innocent people. However, he was still a genius prosecutor who frightened his adversary during the trials.

Though, Miles Edgeworth wasn't that man all the time: he cared for some people, especially Franziska von Karma, the daughter of his mentor, Manfred. He raised him when his father Gregory, the victim of the case DL-6, died.

Although his mentor was the culprit finally discover after fifty years, he couldn't deny the years spent in Germany with him and his daughter. Rewarding years because they'd allowed him to become a prosecutor, and more importantly a genius prosecutor. Franziska had always considered Miles as her _little brother_ despite he was seven years his elder. There was a strong bond between them, but actually Edgeworth knew that Franziska had always done everything to be better than him.

Here was her true revenge: to win a trial against Phoenix Wright to prove to her foolish little brother that she was able to succeed in something he was unable to reach. Unfortunately, it won't be possible today.

"You can't deal with today's trial, Franziska. You're seriously injured, and the audience begins in ten minutes." He said, calmly.

"I…I refuse to let you steal my case, Miles Edgeworth!" She stuttered and winced.

"You're never going to give up, don't you, huh…?" he replied, smiling with amusement. "You really believe you can stand at the prosecutor's bench in that poor condition? I doubt that."

"That's expected… I don't want you to go for me. I must defeat this foolish fool of a lawyer, once and for all!" She said, with hate-filled eyes.

"You won't do anything, Franziska von Karma. I'll be in charge for that trial, no matter what your mind is. And it will end as it must."

"You…! You've always stood in my way; you've always done everything for me to feel miserable. I, the poor child who always had her future decided, was left behind by you a lot of times. I was the one who dreamed to be the best, to be a genius! But I never could, all because of you." At the end of that sentence, a single tear began to roll down her cheek. Usually, she never said to anyone her thoughts, but now she couldn't keep it to herself.

"Franziska… You're wrong. You shouldn't see it that way. You don't need to get a guilty verdict systematically when you're in court to be a talented prosecutor. The truth is the most important goal you must reach, and it will always find a way to make itself known."

"I'm not going to hear one more foolish thing coming out of your foolish mouth… Miles Edgeworth! That's enough...!"

"Shut up." he suddenly said, "Keep your strengths for something else. The emergency services won't be long."

After these words, the sound of the ambulances was heard at the corner of the street. Edgeworth was happy: although Franziska was wounded, she didn't faint and her life should not be in danger.

He looked again to the young blue-haired girl, and at that moment, he saw another tear rolling on her cheek. Before he left, he passed his hand on her wet cheek and put a single hair behind his ear. He smiled a last time to Franziska before taking the files of the case lying on the ground near to her. Edgeworth walked forwards the courtroom when he had finish to explain the situation to the doctors and he made them promise that they will take care correctly of his big sister. He unfortunately couldn't go to the hospital with them because it was already 10:05 am.

 _"Now, this is our battle, Wright."_


End file.
